


Amortentia and alliances

by pleasydeasy



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M, draco is pining™ but he doesn't even know it, hermione granger the wingman
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-07
Updated: 2016-11-07
Packaged: 2018-08-29 11:55:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8488417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pleasydeasy/pseuds/pleasydeasy
Summary: Using Amortentia to get Ron's attention is probably not the most thought-through idea Hermione Granger has had, but it does seem to work. A little too well, even. Also known as the story where Hermione somehow manages to bother Draco into being her ally (friend?) and Harry and Ron do not have a clue of what is going on.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Well, i saw this idea and I wanted to write it. That's about it. Thanks to @dr-aco at tumblr for letting me be inspired by her idea!

Hermione has had enough. She’s a mature girl, sure, but everyone has their limits. And there is no way she’s overreacting about this. Harry could even confirm, she thinks, if she asked him.

Except she’s not going to ask him. Because what she’s going to do is not really…  _allowed_  at Hogwarts. Not that Harry hasn’t broken the rules before, but he wouldn’t be able to keep it from Ron. And Ron is the one person that  _mustn’t_ find out. 

Hermione gets to her feet, knocking over a glass and interrupting Ron and Lavender’s face-sucking. Harry looks relieved. 

«Sorry,» she says, well aware that it doesn’t sound like she is. 

Ron looks up at her with glossy eyes, and Lavender smiles like she knows something Hermione doesn’t. It makes her even more pissed off.

«Where are you going?» Harry asks with his mouth full of food. 

«Library,» she says shortly. He nods and turns back to his plate. Lavender grabs Ron’s face and captures his mouth like there was no interruption. Hermione turns and walks out of the Great Hall before she says anything stupid. 

————

Back at the Gryffindor tower, she pulls the curtains around her bed and takes out the little bottle she has hidden safely in her bag. It was difficult to brew the potion inside without anyone noticing, but Hermione is a persistent girl and it’s not like schoolwork is that hard anyway. Finding spare time really isn’t that challenging. 

The little perfume bottle doesn’t seem like much, and nobody would question that it was filled with perfume if they hadn’t known what was inside. She originally considered hiding it in plain sight, but the risk of other girls accidentally (or not so accidentally) using it was too big. 

The last couple of days, after the potion was finished, she has mentally debated whether she should actually use it. It isn’t really… morally right, but her real fear is the rules. If anyone finds out she uses  _Amortentia_ … Well. 

She holds the bottle up and looks at it hesitantly before suddenly deciding,  _screw it_. It isn’t like she’s going to hurt anyone. She’s just doing this to make Ron jealous. Time to show what landed her in Gryffindor. 

She takes off the lid and sprays it over her neck, and then a little on her wrists. The familiar smell of parchment and something Ron-like reaches her, and she takes a deep breath and closes her eyes before putting the bottle back under her bed and opening the curtains. 

————

Hermione has barely gotten down the stairs before she runs into a blonde girl from fifth year. The girl stops in her tracks and stares at her and Hermione feels a wave of fear come over her. What if she knows? She going to tell —

The train of thoughts stop abruptly when the girl smiles unexpectedly and says, a little huskily: «You look nice today, Hermione.»   
Hermione blushes at the tone, and manages to pull herself together before getting out a «Thanks.»

The girl turns to look at her as she walks by, and when she climbs out the portrait, she’s both nervous and victorious, because it  _worked_. 

In the short distance from the tower to the library, she has three boys and two girls turn and look at her when she walks by, and two boys and one girl actually walk up to her and compliment her in various degrees of awkwardness. She notes that Amortentia doesn’t actually improve your ability to hit on someone, it just takes away the hesitation to do so. She politely lets them all down and can’t help feeling a little more confident by the time she makes it to the library, but how is she supposed to feel when so many people compliment her?

Harry is already sitting at their table at the library when she arrives, buried in his potions book. He looks up when she sits down.

«Hey,» he says and pushes his glasses up his nose. «I thought you were already here, where were you?»

«I was thirsty, went to get some water.» 

«Oh,» he says, and then he frowns and leans closer to her. «Are you wearing a new perfume?»

«Er, yeah,» Hermione says and does her best to look innocent. «Just bought it.»

«Hm.» Harry frowns. Then he shrugs and leans back. «Smells good.»

«Thanks.» 

He goes back to studying like nothing happened and Hermione can’t help but wonder what she smells like to Harry. 

————

Hermione spends the next week avoiding Ron and rejecting boys and girls left and right. Never before has so many people talked to her in one week. She knows for a fact that the potion won’t work if you aren’t attracted to the gender the wearer has, which means there are a lot more non-straight students at Hogwarts than she originally thought. 

She suspects Harry has begun to notice something is up, but bless him, he hasn’t asked. A few times, she has seen Ron around, but she manages to leave every time he arrives, or is in the convenient situation that too many people want to talk to her, and every time, Ron departs himself from Lavender and looks at her. She usually ignores him, but one time, she couldn’t help sending him and Lavender a little smile, just for the look on their faces. 

She has gotten more comfortable with it now, but it worries her a little that people have begun to notice, and she doesn’t really blame them. It’s not like she was disliked before, but she wasn’t exactly popular either, and now she is surrounded by people at all times. 

It shouldn’t really surprise her, then, that Draco Malfoy suddenly blocks her way when she’s about to leave the Great Hall. 

He grew a couple of inches taller than her in fifth grade, and it’s with irritation she looks up at him and meets his look. Sneering, as always. 

Behind him stand Zabini and Parkinson, because Malfoy never goes anywhere without backup. Zabini looks bored and Parkinson is wearing her little Mona Lisa smile. 

«So, Granger,» drawls Malfoy. «I see you’ve finally managed to get yourself some friends. I’d say good for you, if it didn’t take you six years.»

Hermione rolls her eyes. «What do you want, Malfoy?»

«I want to know what you did. Because surely,» he drags out the word, «it can’t be  _you_  they like.»

Malfoy leans closer, and Hermione wonders why he isn’t affected by the Amortentia yet.

Then he sniffs the air around her and frowns, before his expression changes and he smiles that awful smile of his. 

«Really, Granger?» he says and raises a mockingly sympathetic eyebrow. Hermione has no idea what is going on. 

«You were so desperate for more friends that you made yourself stink of Potter, the Boy who Lived. Pathetic, even for you.»

And Hermione gapes, because Malfoy —

Her thoughts race to things she’s read about Amortentia and how it smells like your favorite things or people, all the things you want the most. 

And then she’s thinking about everything Malfoy has ever said or done to Harry and — of course.  _Of course_. 

Malfoy interprets her silence as defeat. He smirks. «Well, well.»

For a quarter second, Hermione considers telling him now, in front of everyone, but shuts down the idea as quick as it arrives. She’s not that person. 

«I have to go,» she says and races out of the Great Hall, already distracted by what she should do now. Does Harry feel the same? Does he know that Malfoy likes him? (Definitely not, she thinks after a second. She loves Harry, but he is about the densest person she knows.) Does Malfoy know, though? 

Probably not, she thinks. Malfoy is smarter than average, and if he knew he liked Harry that way, he would’ve put two and two together about the Amortentia by now.

Should she tell him, then? He could go to Dumbledore and tell him about the Amortentia, but then again, she could tell Harry, and he wouldn’t like that. 

It’s only fair, she decides, to let Malfoy know. She doesn’t owe him anything, but she is a nice person and the longer she thinks about it, the more possible it seems that Harry might feel the same way. He does talk about Malfoy quite a lot, and those two would look good together, she’ll admit that. 

She won’t be able to get a moment with him alone, at least not without making it seem suspicious, so she writes a short note and sends it to Malfoy with one of the school owls.   
Now she just has to wait.

————

Draco is used to getting mail at breakfast. His mother likes to send him letters, and sometimes sweets, and he likes to order things and have them arrive at the breakfast table just to show off. 

He is therefore not surprised when he sees an owl flying his way, expecting either something from his relatives or the new hair potion he ordered. 

It’s not a package the owl is bearing, though, nor is it a long letter from Mother. No, when he opens the envelope, he finds a piece of parchment with a few lines written on it. 

_Malfoy,_

_What I’ve been wearing for the past week is Amortentia, and now I know that to you, it smells like Harry. Meet me in the Transfiguration classroom on the third floor at 7 tonight, if you so need proof that it’s real._

_Hermione Granger_

Draco stops breathing. 

For a moment he wants to laugh, because surely, surely, it can’t be true. Amortentia is against the rules, and Granger wouldn’t use it. And there is no way he likes Potter that way. 

But then - why would she tell him? He could very well go to the Headmasters office right now and tell on her, and she knows that. She would only let him know if she had something against him. 

Like his  _crush_  on Potter. 

Unwillingly, Draco’s mind goes through every single memory with Potter, and then, annoyingly enough, supplies an image of Potter, with his stupid glasses halfway down his nose, and his stupid, stupid hair looking like he just stumbled out of bed after having been shagged senseless. 

Then he remembers what Granger smelled like yesterday, and how he was stupid enough to blurt out how she stinks like Potter. He should have realized. Especially because Potter doesn’t really stink, he smells quite good actually, like soap and brooms and —

Fuck, Draco thinks. Bloody fucking hell.

Pansy interrupts his thoughts by leaning over to him and not so subtly trying to read the note. Draco quickly hides it and smoothes out his face. She sits back again and looks at him with narrow eyes, and he meets her look without betraying anything of what he’s feeling. Eventually, she gives him her little signature smile and goes back to her breakfast. 

Well. Draco isn’t sure what he’s supposed to do now. He, Draco Malfoy, has a crush on Harry  _sodding_  Potter. 

He supposes he has to go see Granger at 7, to really confirm this - this crush. She could be lying - probably not, she’s not Slytherin enough to plan out something big enough to involve a lie like this, but she  _could_. 

Carefully not looking over at the Gryffindor table, where Granger sits, he stands up, grabs his bag and leaves the Great Hall. 

————

Hermione taps her foot nervously against the floor. She came a couple of minutes early to the classroom and her nerves has gotten more and more frayed since she arrived. She doesn’t really understand why, it’s not like he can tell on her, not when she something on him as well. But Hermione has never liked Draco Malfoy, and his feelings for Harry doesn’t make her more comfortable with him. 

She chose the classroom on the third floor because it’s rarely used for extracurriculars and meetings outside of class, so nobody will accidentally wander inside. The third floor is usually quiet, and that’s why she hears Malfoy’s footsteps long before he actually shows up at the door. 

He’s wearing his usual sneer, something she has learned to recognize as his pokerface, but he’s nervous, she can tell. She doesn’t really blame him. 

«Close the door, will you?» she says, careful to keep her voice perfectly steady. 

He does, and warily comes a few steps closer. 

«What do you want, Granger?» 

«I don’t want anything,» she says. «You do.» 

She holds out her bottle of Amortentia. His eyes dart over to it, and for a split second his sneering facade falls and he looks as nervous as he probably feels. Then he regains himself, and Hermione is thoughtful enough to act like she didn’t see anything. 

«Well? Are you going to try it or not?»

He scowls at her, takes the bottle from her hands and takes off the lid. Then he seemingly hesitates, before closing his eyes, lifting it to his nose and taking a deep breath. 

Hermione waits impatiently, tapping her foot against the floor again. 

He stands still for a couple of seconds, before he putting the lid back on. Then he opens his eyes and looks at her. 

«Could you be bloody quiet?»

It would probably be quite sharp, hadn’t it been for the quiver in his voice. 

«What did it smell like?» she asks softly. 

The cruelness is back in his voice when he suddenly snaps back at her: «I don’t see how that’s any of your business, Granger!»

And just like that, her sympathy is gone. 

«It isn’t!» she snarls. «I’m helping you!»

«Really,» he growls, sarcasm sharp in his voice, and Hermione doesn’t want to deal with this anymore. She holds out her hand. 

«Give it back, will you?»

He doesn’t move. Just stares at her with cold eyes and an ugly scowl. 

«This is against the school policies, Granger. Who would have known you were such a  _rule breaker_? 

He steps closer.

«I could just go straight up to Dumbledore with this.»

Hermione narrows her eyes and cocks her head. 

«You realize that if you do that, I will tell the whole school about your little crush on Harry, right?» Two can play this game.

Malfoy doesn’t say anything for a long time. Hermione holds his look and snaps her fingers until he rolls his eyes and gives her the bottle. 

«Why are you wearing it?» he questions then, and Hermione tries her hardest to clear her face and curses the fact that she has never been a good liar. 

«I wanted to know what it’s like,» she says. 

He cocks his head. «You wanted to know what it’s like to be popular?»

«Yes.»

«In sixth year.»

«Yes.»

He has that look on his face, the one he has when he’s thinking hard about something, and Hermione can’t stand the cunning look in his eyes. She looks down. 

«This doesn’t happen to have anything to do with Weasley’s newfound romance with that Brown girl, does it?»

And Hermione curses herself as she feels a blush spread around her face and down her neck. She looks up, and immediately regrets it, because if he didn’t know before, he definitely does now that he’s seen the guilt in her eyes. 

Malfoy grins wickedly. «Well, well. Looks like I’m not the only one with a little  _crush_.»

Hermione raises her chin defiantly. «What are you going to do about it? Tell him?» 

He scowls again and Hermione is suddenly quite tired of this whole thing. 

«Look,» she says, «can we just drop the whole blackmailing thing? It’s not going to get us anywhere.»

He holds her look for a couple of seconds before nodding, just barely.

«Alright,» he says. 

«Alright,» Hermione repeats. «I guess I’ll just…»

There’s an awkward silence.

«I have a potions assignment that’s due tomorrow,» Malfoy says, and looks anywhere but at her. «I’d better go.»

«Okay,» Hermione says. «I’ll see you around.»

Malfoy looks uncomfortable with the idea. «Yes, I suppose so.» 

He turns around and walks out. 

Hermione waits until she can’t hear his footsteps before she leaves. 

————

Hermione stops wearing the Amortentia after that. It’s too risky, and to be honest, quite tiring to be surrounded by people all the time. 

Ron seems to be getting a little tired of Lavender as well. As far as Hermione knows, they haven’t broken up yet, but at least he’s able to be alone with Harry and her, which is nice. As irritated as she has been with him for the past couple of weeks, she has missed the three of them together, and she knows Harry has as well. 

But now that she and Ron have gotten somewhat over their problems, Harry is free to talk about his. And it doesn’t seem to be anything they haven’t heard before. 

«I just know Malfoy is up to something!» Harry says, a little breathlessly. His homework lays abandoned beside him. Ron looks exasperated. 

«How do you know that, Harry?» Hermione inquires in the usual overly calm tone she uses when Harry does this. 

«I just — he never bullies me anymore! Until a week ago, he was all over the place, never letting go of an opportunity to mock me, and now he barely even looks at me!»

«And this is a bad thing because…» Ron says, not even bothering to look up from his homework. 

«Because it means he’s too busy doing something else!»

«How do you know he’s up to something bad?»

«Come on, ‘Mione, this is Malfoy we’re talking about.»

Hermione can’t resist rolling her eyes. «Maybe he finally grew up.»

Harry scoffs. «Malfoy? I don’t think so.»

«Harry, I hate to say this, but this Transfigurations essay is due tomorrow and you can’t afford getting detention right now, not with the upcoming match against Ravenclaw,» Ron cuts in. Harry sighs and grabs his quill. 

Hermione studies him for a second. For someone who seems so intent on hating Malfoy, he does talk an awful lot about him. And sure, that could be because of the hatred, but Hermione can’t help but wonder if it’s something more than that. 

She won’t deny that Malfoy isn’t exactly bad-looking, not even close if she’s going to be really honest. And she has had a sneaking suspicion for a few years now that Harry isn’t completely straight, even if he never mentioned it.

«‘Mione, can I borrow some ink from you?» Harry asks. «I’m all out.»

«Sure,» she says and hands him her inkwell. 

Actually, the more she thinks about it, the more likely does it seem that Harry’s feelings for Malfoy aren’t entirely hate based. They have always rubbed each other off the wrong way, but if Malfoy likes Harry romantically, why can’t Harry like him?

In any case, it doesn’t seem like they are getting anywhere. Since Malfoy found out about his crush, he has done the exact opposite of acting on it, instead he has drawn back and not said a word to Harry. He actively avoids Hermione, but she can’t really blame him for that. 

The question is, should she do something to try and get them together? She isn’t used to playing matchmaker, and if it doesn’t work out, Malfoy could very well murder her for even trying, but it seems like such an  _opportunity_. 

«Hermione?» Ron says and waves a hand in front of her face, interrupting her thoughts. «Shouldn’t you work?»

«Yes, I— yes.» Hermione shakes her head and opens her potions book. She can think about this later. 

————

Draco had hoped he would never get another letter from Granger again, and his heart sinks when he receives a note with her handwriting on it at breakfast a couple of days after their meeting. 

Subtly hiding it with his hand from his housemates’ hungry looks, he tries to read it without looking to obvious.

_He talks about you — all the time._

That’s all. He talks about you all the time. 

What the bloody fuck? Why did Granger think he needed to know that? He doesn’t want her pity. And he doesn’t want any more of her bloody letters!

When he looks up he sees Granger not-so-subtly watching him from the Gryffindor table. He flips her the finger and casts an Incendio on the note. 

————

Hermione wishes Malfoy would stop avoiding her. After the discovery of his crush on Harry, she’s begun to look a little more closely at Harry when he talks about Malfoy, and the longer it goes, the more sure she gets that Harry feels the same way. 

The problem is, Malfoy won’t listen. After getting the first couple of notes she sent, he just glared at her and burned the notes, but after the third, he sent one back. _Fuck off._

She has no idea how to get him to understand, much less actually make a move at Harry. She could try to get Harry to make the first move, but that introduces a whole new set of problems - she’ll have to make Harry realize and come to terms with his feelings, and then explain how she knows about Malfoy and - no, it’s too much work. 

This whole Malfoy/Harry business is exhausting, and she hasn’t even started on the fact that Ron clearly wants to break up with Lavender, but doesn’t have the guts to do it. She is not going to help him with that one. It’s entirely his own fault, and if he won’t even ask for help, well, then it’s not her problem. 

Hadn’t it been for the itching annoyance she feels when Lavender comes their way, screeching «Won-Won!», the look on Ron’s face would have been quite amusing. But, alas. 

Right now, Lavender is clinging to his arm, blabbering about something that Hermione really couldn’t care less about, but at least Ron has the decency to at least pretend to listen. 

Harry glances at Ron in sympathy and then at Hermione. He clears his voice. 

«Um, Lavender?»

«Hmm?»

«Don’t you have muggle studies right now? Because we have potions and we’re on our way to the dungeons.»

Lavender gets wide eyes. «Oh, I have to hurry.» She kisses Ron (very wetly, it seems) on the cheek. «I’ll see you soon, Won-Won.»

She releases him and disappears in the mass of students. Ron visibly sighs with relief. He claps Harry on the shoulder. 

«Thanks for saving me, mate.»

Harry snorts. «Wouldn’t have to if you could just break up with her already.»

Ron throws himself into his usual speech about hurting Lavender and other excuses for not breaking up, and Hermione zones out again. They enter the potions classroom and find their usual spots in the back. Slowly the classroom fills up with students, and lastly Professor Snape. 

«Quiet,» he says, and everybody stops talking at once. 

«Today you will be brewing the Draught of Living Death. Can anyone tell me what this particular potion does?»

Hermione, as always, puts her hand in the air, and Snape, as always, ignores her. 

«Yes, Nott.»

Nott smirks directly at Hermione. «It makes the taker seem dead without really being dead.»

Hermione rolls her eyes. Terribly phrased. Any idiot could have said that.

«Indeed,» Snape says. «This is a complicated potion that requires great preciseness and focus. I wouldn’t expect all of you to even reach the fourth step without ruining it.»

His voice goes mockingly soft as he stops at Harry’s desk and looks down. Harry stubbornly meets his look. 

Snape raises his voice again. «You will work in pairs and share ingredients.»

Hermione looks at Harry and Ron and automatically moves closer to them. Snape sneers.

«Not so fast. Weasley, you’ll go with Mr. Zabini, Potter with Ms. Parkinson and Granger with Mr. Malfoy.»

Ron and Harry look disappointed, but Hermione sights her chance at talking to Malfoy. She grabs her stuff and moves to Malfoy’s desk. He completely ignores her. 

Snape goes up to the board again. «Open your books at page 369. You have one hour.»

«I’ll get the ingredients and you prepare the equipment?» Hermione asks. Malfoy nods, still not looking at her. Hermione suppresses a sigh and goes to get the ingredients. 

After working in a tense silence for twenty minutes, Hermione has had enough. She stops cutting beans and puts down the knife.

«You’re avoiding me,» she says to Malfoy, who keeps stirring like he heard nothing. Hermione waves her hand in front of his face. He looks up, annoyed.

«Would you mind, Granger? Some of us are actually trying to work.»

She ignores him. «You’re avoiding me,» she says again.

«I have no idea what you’re talking about,» he says and goes back to stirring. 

Hermione rolls her eyes. «Come on, Malfoy. You haven’t insulted me once for the past twenty minutes. You’re not this nice.»

He doesn’t even look up. «What are you talking about? I’m perfectly nice.» 

«Mhm. And the sun is green.»

«It might be,» Malfoy mumbles. «No one knows how others perceive colours.»

« _Malfoy._ »

«What?» He looks up. «I don’t know what you want with me, Granger. We’re not friends, and I have every intention of it staying that way. Now, if you would please continue cutting beans, we’re falling behind.» 

Hermione picks up her knife again and starts cutting. «I don’t want to be friends.»

«Then I can’t fathom why you are still talking to me.»

«Because both you and Harry are both bloody idiots, and it’s annoying me.»

«Language, Granger,» Malfoy sneers. «I don’t see what Potter has got to do with this.»

Hermione shoots him an exasperated look. «Do you think I would talk to you if it wasn’t about Harry?»

«I don’t know, Granger, would you?»

«Malfoy, stop changing subject.»

Malfoy shoots her a warning look and Hermione turns around to see Snape coming their way. She turns back and starts cutting beans like it’s about her life. When he’s finally a distance from them she considers safe, she’s done with the beans and moves on to the crocodile heart. 

«As I was saying—,»

«Yes, please Granger, continue,» Malfoy drawls sarcastically.

He’s impossible. She’s about to take the ladle from him and make him listen when he sighs and puts it down himself. 

«Do you really not have anything more important to do than this constant nagging? Like, I don’t know, maybe do something about the Weasel and his terrible love life?»

Hermione stares. «What do you mean?»

Malfoy looks exasperated. «I mean that for six years he’s had the right option right in front of him, and then when he has the opportunity to do something about it, he goes and fucks it all up and dates somebody else. So typical.»

Hermione has to repeat what Malfoy said in her head a couple of times before it sinks in. 

«Wait,» She says slowly. «Are you— are you saying he likes me?»

Malfoy rolls his eyes so hard his irises disappear and only the white is visible. «Are you fucking kidding me, Granger? Anyone with well functioning eyes could have seen that. I’m surprised Potter haven’t knocked some sense into you yet.»

Hermione is indignant. «At least I did something about my crush! You just sit on your arse, refusing to acknowledge your feelings.»

«Shh,» Malfoy says, looking wide-eyed around the room to see if anyone heard her, but the bubbling and chopping noise from the other desks drowns their conversation. 

«Ha!» Hermione says and points at him with her knife. Malfoy takes it from her and puts it down, looking annoyed. 

«What?»

«You just admitted it,» she says triumphantly. 

Malfoy goes back to stirring. «I have no idea what you’re talking about. I was merely trying to make you be a little more quiet. We are in a classroom, after all.»

Hermione smirks. «Whatever you say, Malfoy.»

Malfoy rolls his eyes. «Shouldn’t you care a little more about the fact that Weasley likes you, and a little less about my life?»

«I—,» Hermione says, before she stops. In all this mess she didn’t stop to think about this new information she’s received. Ron likes her. He  _likes_  her. 

«It doesn’t change anything,» she mumbles. Malfoy looks surprised and irritated at the same time.

«Why wouldn’t it change anything? He likes you, you like him, you both want each other. Usually this makes a pretty good foundation for a relationship, even for a pair of trolls like yourself.»

Hermione puts the crocodile heart in the pot, one bit every five seconds as Malfoy stirs.

«He’s still dating Lavender,» she says. Malfoy fake-gags. 

«Oh Merlin, please don’t let that stop you. I don’t know how much more exchange of spit in the hallway I can bear.» 

Silently Hermione agrees, but she’s not about to let him know that. 

«I can’t just take him.»

Malfoy rolls his eyes again. Hermione wonders if all this eye-rolling gives him a headache.

«No, but you can  _tell_  him,» he says. «It’s painfully clear that he doesn’t particularly want to be with Brown, and all he needs is some motivation to sum up some of that famous Gryffindor courage and fucking break it off already.»

In the back of her head, Hermione thinks about how strange it is that she’s getting advice on her love life from Draco Malfoy. And that she’s trying to help him with his. Which involves Harry. 

Strange, all of it. 

She shakes off that thought when Malfoy rudely snaps a finger in front of her face. 

«Granger.»

«Fine,» she says. Malfoy looks surprised.

«Fine?»

She starts cutting bat ears. «I will tell Ron how I feel - if you make a move on Harry.»

Malfoy looks incredulous. «Why the everliving fuck would I do that?»

Hermione shrugs. «To stop the constant exchange of spit in the hallways, as you so nicely phrased it?»

«It’s not that important to me,» Malfoy scoffs.

«Alright then,» she says and shrugs again. «Then neither of us will get what we want.»

«I don’t  _want_ -,» Malfoy starts, but Hermione shoots him a deadpan look and he seemingly gives up. He sighs and rubs his forehead.

«Let’s just finish the potion.»

————

Hermione doesn’t see much of Malfoy the next few days. He’s stopped avoiding her, she thinks, but since he’s also stopped seeking Harry out to bother him, she doesn’t really see him in the hallway anymore, except an occasional passing. 

She hasn’t given up on he and Harry yet, far from it, but she has something else to think about now as well. Ron seems to get more and more annoyed by Lavender, and Hermione catches herself staring at Ron and wondering if he does the same when she’s not looking. 

She never thought she would actually doing anything Malfoy suggested, but talking to him about it doesn’t seem that bad of an idea. Except, of course, that the mere thought makes her absolutely terrified.

If Ron could just break up with Lavender, everything would be so much easier. Not only would it be relieving to not have this barrier between them anymore, she would also be rid of Lavender’s constant, noisy presence.

It’s weird; she didn’t really have much against Lavender before, except thinking she was a little bit annoying, but a lot of people do annoy Hermione, and it’s not Lavender’s fault that she’s not Hermione’s type of person. But this whole obsession with Ron — it makes Hermione so  _angry_. 

Lavender insists on giving Ron a long, wet goodbye kiss every time they part ways — even if they’ll see each other an hour later. She latches onto his arm and calls him stupid names, like  _Won-Won_. Hermione can’t stand it, Harry can’t stand it, even Malfoy can’t stand it. 

Ron and Lavender is in the middle of said goodbye kiss right now and somehow manage to block the entire hallway. Hermione accidentally gets eye contact with Malfoy behind them. He pretends to gag, and she actually snorts, before they both sum themselves up and look around to see if anyone saw them. 

She looks at Harry, who’s eying Malfoy as he walks away. Is he just being annoyed at Malfoy or is he looking at his butt? Hard to know. Malfoy does have a pretty spectacular butt, but he’s also spectacularly annoying. Again, Hermione wishes Malfoy would do something about his crush. 

«Let’s go to the Great Hall,» Ron says, looking as red as his hair. «I’m starving.»

It’s raining today, and Hermione looks up at the stormy roof and feels content. Rain has always been her favorite weather, perfect for reading or studying. Tomorrow is Saturday, and she hopes it’s raining then, too. There is almost nothing better than curling up in the library with her books, listening to the dripping. 

They reach the Gryffindor table, and Ron interrupts her thoughts when he slams his books down, checks around to see if anyone is listening and then says: «I have to break up with her.»

Hermione’s stomach rushes, and she’s careful to keep a poker face. 

«Took you long enough,» Harry says dryly as he sits down. 

« _Mate_ ,» Ron says, looking pitiful. «I don’t want to hurt her, but —I can’t be with her anymore. I literally can’t stand it.»

«Then do it,» Harry tells him and takes a piece of pie. 

Ron nods. «I’m gonna. I’m gonna do it.» He seems to draw himself up, and stands. «I’m gonna go break up with her right now.»

Then he walks out of the Great Hall with determined steps and leaves Harry and Hermione in silence.

Hermione struggles to keep still, a thousand butterflies triumphantly flying around in her stomach. Harry looks at her with the thoughtful expression the shows him much smarter than people think he is. 

«You better not fuck this up,» he says.

Hermione splutters. «What— what do you mean?»

He raises his eyebrows. «Come on Hermione, you know what I mean.» He leans forward, looking serious. «You two have known each other for six years now. All this bickering has to have lead to something.»

She holds his look for a couple of seconds. «Alright. I won’t.»

Harry smiles and nods. Then he frowns. «You stopped wearing that perfume, right?»

Hermione is thrown off by the change of subject. «Er, yes? I decided I didn’t really like it. How—how did you notice?

«I— I just really liked the last one. Reminded me of something.»

Now Hermione has to fight to hide her curiosity. «Really? What?»

Harry shrugs. «Don’t know. Something at the school, I think.»

«Oh,» Hermione says. «Someone’s probably worn it before me, then.»

Harry frowns. «Yes… someone.» He looks lost in thought for a couple of seconds, before shaking his head. «Whatever. We should eat now if we want to make it to Charms in time.»

Hermione burns to ask more questions, to find out who she smelled like, but tells herself not to. More question would lead to Harry getting suspicious, and then possibly finding out. It’s not worth it, she decides. 

They’re just about finished eating when Ron comes back, looking a little red but otherwise normal. He sits down without saying anything and starts shoving pie into his mouth. Hermione and Harry look at each other.

«Well?» Harry says. «How’d it go?»

Ron looks up and swallows. «Fine. It went fine.»

Harry raises his eyebrows. «Fine?» he says disbelievingly. 

Ron sighs. «Well, she started crying, and then screaming and talking about— well, I didn’t really catch what she was talking about, but it can’t have been good. Then Parvati showed up and she calmed down. That’s when I saw my chance at escaping. And,» he shrugs, «here I am.»

«Oh,» Hermione says. «Quite alright then.»

Ron shrugs. «Yeah.»

«Well,» Harry says and gets up. «We should get to Charms.»

Ron shoves the last piece of pie into his mouth and gets up as well. Hermione still can’t believe she finally has a  _chance_.

«Let’s go,» she says.

————

The next day, an elegant brown owl lands at her table with a note. Hermione opens it curiously. 

_Heard they broke up. Now is your chance. TALK TO HIM._

_DM_

Hermione can’t hide her surprise and looks over to the Slytherin table, where Malfoy sits and seems to think The Daily Prophet is one of the more interesting things he’s seen, by the way he practically buries his nose in it. Hermione takes out her quill. On the back side, she writes: 

_Yes, like you talk to Harry?_

She folds the note and gives it to the owl, telling it to give it back to Malfoy. She watches as he opens it, then rolls his eyes. He takes out a new piece of parchment and scribbles something on it, then gives it to the owl. A couple of seconds later it lands at her table and she takes it. 

_Hilarious. Unlike you, I haven’t been his best friend for six years._

_P.S. Don’t send anything back. All this owl traffic will make people notice._

Hermione rolls her eyes. She looks up, but Malfoy is back to his newspaper. 

«What’s that?» Ron inquires and leans over her to try and read the note. Hermione quickly folds it. 

«Nothing,» she says. 

Seamus leans over to them as well. «Oooh, is it a letter from a lover?» he says and winks. Ron looks annoyed. 

«Lover?» he says. Hermione smiles internally and casts an  _Incendio_  on the note.

«Nope. Just a note I wrote in class. Charms stuff.»

Both the boys lean back again, Ron looking relieved and Seamus disappointed. Hermione gets up. 

«Where you going?» Ron asks. 

«Library,» she says, like it’s obvious. 

«On a Saturday?» Ron says, raising his eyebrows. «Come on, Hermione. Can’t we do something else today?»

«We have homework, Ron,» she says. 

«It’s not like you’re behind, ‘Mione.»

She scoffs. «Of course I’m not behind. You, on the other hand…»

Ron looks guilty. Hermione raises her eyebrows. 

«Alright, alright,» he says. «Harry, come on. We’re going to the library.»

————

Ron and Harry are so far behind it’s not even funny. Hermione doesn’t understand how they’ve managed to procrastinate so much in just one week. With all this Malfoy business, she hasn’t really been paying attention, and they’ve completely fallen out. 

Ron looks miserably at his books and loads of homework. 

«Harry, mate, we’ve made a mistake.»

Harry lifts his head from his desk. The sight of the two distressed boys in front of her would have been funny if Hermione didn’t tend to get stressed on their behalf.

«Ugh,» Harry says. «Alright. Where do we start?»

«Potions, probably,» Hermione says. «You have to write twenty centimeters about the bezoar by Monday.»

« _Ugh,_ » Harry says again, then grabs his books and opens them. 

Four hours later, filled with complaints and distressed sounds, with Hermione’s help, Harry and Ron finally manage to somewhat catch up on the homework. Harry writes the last sentence on his Charms homework and slams his book shut. Ron finished three minutes before and appears to be sleeping. Hermione closes her book and looks amused at the the pair of them. 

«Finished?» she asks. Harry just closes his eyes and nods. Ron blinks and looks at Harry. 

«These probably aren’t the best grades we’re gonna get this year,» he says. 

«I don’t even care anymore,» Harry says. «I’m just glad we’re finished.»

Just then, Malfoy comes in, looking snotty as usual. Harry and Ron are sitting with their backs towards him and can’t see him, but Hermione meets his eyes. He raises one eyebrow and nods towards Ron. Hermione sticks out her tongue. He rolls his eyes and goes to sit with Parkinson and Zabini at the other side of the library. Harry catches her looking and turns around.

«What’s Malfoy doing here?» he says. Ron sighs and goes back to sleep. Hermione’s interests perks.

«Studying, probably,» she says. They both look at Malfoy, who is leaning his head on Parkinson’s shoulder and writing something on his parchment. Parkinson shrugs him off and smiles, a lot warmer than they ever see her smile in any other situation. She says something and both Malfoy and Zabini laugh. For a moment, Hermione has to remind herself of all the horrible things they’ve done to her and Ron and Harry. 

Malfoy gets up and comes their way, and they both quickly look down. He passes them and disappears behind the bookshelves. Harry and Hermione look at each other and Harry shrugs.

————

Draco pretends he doesn’t notice Granger and Potter looking over to him and Blaise and Pansy. He pretends he doesn’t see them look down as he comes their way and look after him when he passes them. 

He doesn’t know how to feel about it. 

In a way, it is normal. He and Potter have always been hyper-aware of each other, but it’s usually been related to the hostility they have for each other. Used to have. Draco doesn’t quite know what it is now. 

After finding out about his crush, Draco has been noticing things about Potter that he never used to actively think about. Like his mouth, or the way he holds his wand, or his eyes. (Well, he did think about the eyes before. It’s impossible not to notice Potter’s eyes.) 

Potter looks down when laughing and eats like an animal, he’s got two different smiles; one with his lips pressed together and his eyes glittering, and the other full teeth and dimples. He chews on his quill when thinking and that tiny thing, that insignificant habit does something very strange to Draco’s heart. 

Draco shakes his head to rid himself of these stupid thoughts and lets his finger glide over the books, looking for the one he needs. 

He doesn’t notice someone coming before he hears the steps right behind him. 

«What are you looking for?» a girl’s voice says. 

Granger. Draco sighs and turns to face her. 

«Shouldn’t you be making out with Weasley?» he says, for the lack of something better. She rolls her eyes and crosses her arms. 

«Funny. Especially coming from you,» she says, which Draco pointedly ignores.

«Leave the boys behind, did you?» He turns back to the shelf and continues his search. 

«Well, in a sudden burst of inspiration they decided to get ahead on the homework and I am already ahead. Thought I’d find myself another book to read. What are you looking for?» Granger says again and comes up beside him. He scowls at her. She just raises an eyebrow. 

Draco sighs. «Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Blaise lost his.»

Granger hums thoughtfully and studies the bookshelf for a couple of seconds, before pulling out a book. «This one?»

Draco scowls again and takes the book. «Know the entire library by heart?»

Granger shrugs. «Something like that. So anyway,» she turns to him, «Harry probably has a crush on you.»

Draco chokes on air. « _What?_ »

Granger looks unfazed. «Looks like it, yeah.»

«I— he — he does  _not_ ,» Draco splutters. She rolls her eyes. 

«Oh, come on, Malfoy. You don’t know Harry like I do. He’s been bothered for weeks now because you haven’t talked to him once.»

«But I  _bully_  him!»

«Honestly Malfoy, I don’t understand why you’re so intent on proving me wrong. This is a good thing, you know.»

Draco doesn’t know what to say. «But— he can’t  _possibly_ —,»

«Well, he does. And it’s about time you do something about it.» Granger stands with her hands on her sides and looks scarily determined, and Draco realizes there isn’t much he can do but listen to her. Plus, if he’s completely honest, this whole Potter-has-a-crush-on-him doesn’t sound too bad. He sighs. 

«What should I do?»

An unnerving grin spreads on Granger’s face and Draco almost regrets his decision. Almost.

«Well, first you should probably get him alone. That shouldn’t be so hard.»

«And then?»

Granger opens her mouth, and then closes it. She looks almost - hesitant. Draco gapes. 

«Wait, you don’t know?»

She looks away. «Well, it’s not like I’ve ever…» 

«Are you fucking kidding me?» Draco can’t believe this. Granger is supposed to know what to do now. «You’ve  _never_?»

She looks indignant. «I been kissed, of course. But I haven’t… you know.» She shrugs awkwardly.

Draco stares. «Had sex?»

«No!» Granger looks around to see if anyone heard them. «No, I mean I haven’t kissed someone to tell them how I feel.»

«Oh.» Draco supposes he should have figured. «Well, what am I supposed to do now?»

She shrugs again. «How would I know? This isn’t exactly my playing field.»

«Of course not,» Draco says, but at this point he doesn’t bother to make it sound like he means it anymore. Granger studies him for a moment, before turning to the bookshelf and pulling out a book. Something boring, as far as Draco can see. 

«Well, I’d better get back,» she says. «Harry and Ron are probably wondering where I am. See you.»

Draco makes a noncommittal sound and turns back to the bookshelf to look for another book. 

After at least five minutes, when Draco is starting to get frustrated in his lack of findings, he hears more steps behind him. 

He turns around, preparing to  _very_  kindly ask Granger to leave him alone and — Potter. 

Right there, between the bookshelves, with messy hair and bags under his eyes. He’s holding Granger’s book in his hand. 

Draco can’t bring himself to speak. 

«Malfoy,» Potter says. His eyes are wide. (Stupid eyes, Draco thinks. Why do they have to be so distracting?)

«I was just gonna..,» Potter holds out the book and gestures to the bookshelf, «put this back.»

Granger set this up. Of course.

Potter is still standing there, obviously waiting, so Draco clears his throat and moves out of the way. 

«Yes, of course.»

He waits while Potter puts the book back, and the silence is only filled by his own breaths and murmurs from around the library. Potter turns around and meets his eyes. Draco looks away too quickly. 

«Um,» Potter says. He steps aside and gestures to the bookshelf to tell Draco he can come back. Draco takes a deep breath and thinks,  _fuck it_. 

He doesn’t even remember what he was looking for anymore, but he hopes he does a good job pretending he knows and doesn’t notice the fact that Potter still hasn’t left and is standing right beside him. 

«Are you looking for something?» he says and pretends to find the bookshelf incredibly interesting. 

«Um,» Potter says again. Draco looks up, and Potter is frowning. 

«What?» he says, feeling a little shaky. He’s close enough to notice that Potter has freckles drizzled over his nose and slightly bent glasses. He’s close enough to hear Potter take a deep breath, and to see the frown deepen. 

«What?» he says again. 

Potter seems to come to his senses and shakes his head. «I… Nothing.»

Draco meets his eyes, unable to look away. 

«I should…» Potter says and gestures to something, but he doesn’t move and he doesn’t look away. 

«Definitely,» Draco says and kisses him. 

Potter makes a surprised sound in the back of his throat, and for a moment nothing happens — and then he grabs Draco by the shoulders and pulls him closer. Draco takes the opportunity to run his hands through Potter’s hair, which is surprisingly soft. Potter sighs into the kiss and brushes his fingers against Draco’s cheek, and Draco has to steady himself on the bookshelf. 

«Um…» a girl’s voice says behind him. They scramble away from each other and Draco almost knocks down a section of books. When he looks up, Pansy meets his eyes with a raised eyebrow. 

«I was just coming to see if you found the book you were looking for,» she says with a perfectly even voice. «Blaise was getting impatient.»

Without breaking eye-contact, Draco reaches behind him and takes the book Granger found for him, abandoned on the shelf. He gives it to Pansy, who takes it and gives him her little trademark smile. 

«Thanks,» she says and smiles at Potter as well. «Have fun.»

She leaves and Draco looks at Potter, whose cheeks are red and lips are puffy, Potter who meets his look with wide eyes and Draco can’t help it — he snickers. Potter looks incredulous and that only makes Draco laugh harder. He leans on Potter and clutches his stomach and eventually he feels Potter chuckle as well. 

They end up one the floor after a while, sitting side by side against the shelf. Draco has his arm around Potter and kisses him anywhere he can reach. His cheek, ear, neck, nose, mouth. By some miracle, nobody but Pansy has walked in on them yet, but Draco knows it’s just a matter of time. He can’t find it in himself to care, not when he can kiss Potter how he wants and listen to the little sighs he gets in return. 

He doesn’t know how much time has passed, but eventually his butt gets a little sore and Potter says: «We should get back. The others are probably wondering where I am.»

Draco traces his fingers lazily. «Maybe they think I’ve murdered you behind the shelves.»

Potter snorts and moves to get up. He reaches a hand out to Draco, who takes it. 

«What now?» Potter says. 

Draco shrugs. «Keep kissing?»

Potter looks like he’s trying and failing not to smile. «Definitely, but like… in general?»

«No idea,» Draco says. 

«Okay,» Potter says and shrugs. «We’ll just roll with it, then.»

They round the corner and are met with the sight of Granger and Weasley sitting  _very_  closely bent over their homework. 

«Finally,» Draco says quietly, to not interrupt. Potter looks at him strangely. «What? It was about time.»

Just then, Granger turns and winks. Draco smiles back. 

Maybe this new, strange alliance isn’t so bad after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
